The Basics of Educational Podcasting: Enhancing the Student Learning Experience1 Jamie S

Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.

MB004

The Basics of Educational Podcasting: Enhancing the Student Learning Experience1 Jamie S. Foster, Jennifer Larmore, and Stephanie A. Havemann2

Overview Podcasting Made Easy With millions of portable media players sold every year, At its simplest, the creation of a podcast requires a micro- podcasting has emerged as an accessible and affordable phone, software, and a computer. Often the microphone means of communicating ideas and knowledge to the and recording software are bundled with the purchase of a world. In this article, we present a brief tutorial for new computer. However, if these items are not immediately educators interested in generating and publishing their available on the computer, there are a variety of options to own podcasts. We also discuss the role of podcasting in begin podcasting. the classroom and present data to support the idea that podcasting is an effective learning tool for students. At educational institutions, cost is often the limiting factor when developing novel technologies for the classroom. What Are Podcasts? Podcasting, however, offers educators an affordable means to transfer their lectures and knowledge to students. A podcast is a digital audio recording, with or without Assuming an individual has access to a computer and the images, which instructors can use to deliver content to Internet, podcasting can be implemented in the classroom students in an easy asynchronous fashion. Once generated, for less than $30. Here are the items you need to begin podcasts can be disseminated online through personal podcasting: websites or podcast directories. Podcasting, the name for this process, is an amalgamation of “broadcasting” Microphone/Headset and the acronym “POD.” POD stands for “Portable on Demand,” and was first used to name Apple Computer’s If a recording device is not built into the computer, or if you widely successful portable media player, the iPod®. Now, the want better recording quality than the internal microphone terms “podcast” and “podcasting” are part of the American provides, a microphone can be purchased at a local retail lexicon and refer to the distribution of any downloadable store (e.g., Radio Shack or Target) or online (e.g., Amazon, digital audio file that can be played on numerous devices http://www.amazon.com). The cost of a microphone such as computers, smartphones, iPads®, and other portable ($7–$200+) often correlates with the sound quality. An media devices. example of a moderately priced yet quality microphone that directly plugs into the USB port of your computer is the Plantronics DSP-400 headset ($35). An acoustic comparison of this microphone with others is available at

1. This document is MB004, one of a series of the Microbiology and Cell Science Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date July 2008. Revised July 2012. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. Jamie S. Foster, assistant professor, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science; Jennifer Larmore, UF intern, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science; and Stephanie A. Havemann, educator, Glenda Dawson High School, Pearland, TX; Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A&M University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Thomas A. Obreza, Interim Dean Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. http://www.creativetechs.com/iq/what_is_a_good_micro- interviews with experts in the field of study. Portable phone_for_podcasting_1.html. recording provides the educator with far more flexibility than a stationary system. Software Although numerous professional podcasting software Publishing and Disseminating the packages are currently available ($100–$1000+), beginning podcasters may want to start with a freeware program. One Podcasts of the most widely used free podcasting software programs Once the podcast has been recorded and edited, it is then is Audacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net/), an open ready for distribution. The simplest way for an educator to source sound recording and editing program with versions disseminate the podcasts is to upload them to an online available for PC, Mac, and Linux. Another free podcasting course management website such as Sakai or Angel. program for Mac users is GarageBand, found within the Students who have access to the class website can then iLife package that comes with all new Mac OS X computers. download each lecture individually. Although this approach Although older versions of GarageBand do not have the is less time consuming for the instructor, it does not take podcasting function, upgrades to the new, podcasting-ready advantage of the complete benefits of podcasting. GarageBand 4.1 are available in the iLife package for $90 (educational discounts available; http://www.apple.com/ One significant advantage of podcasting is the ability to ilife/garageband/). For specific instructions on using automatically distribute podcasts through online subscrip- GarageBand, an online video tutorial is available from tions. Instead of students going to a specific website and Apple at http://www.apple.com/ilife/garageband/. downloading lectures as they are posted, students can subscribe to the podcasts, which lets the student’s computer For those less constrained by cost or those wanting to download new lecture materials automatically. generate professional-level podcasts that include multi- person productions such as panel discussions or telephone For the publication and subscription process to begin, the interviews, more sophisticated recording studio equipment podcast needs to be accessible on a server. Many academic may be needed. This equipment can include items such as institutions provide each faculty member with server space condenser microphones, pop filters, USB audio interfaces, to maintain research and/or educational websites. However, and mixers. Several online resources exist for evaluating many podcasts are large files (often over 50 MB), and server more advanced equipment, including two that discuss its space can quickly become a limiting factor. Few institutions use in the classroom (http://uvs.umn.edu/podcastequip- can afford a dedicated podcasting server such as Apple’s ment/; http://www.poducateme.com/). Podcast Producer for Mac OS X (http://www.apple.com/ server/macosx/features/podcasts.html). To overcome these space limitations, commercially available servers are readily Portable Podcasting available online. A dedicated domain name for the course Podcasting at a stationary computer will work for most or instructor can be purchased for less than $10. Many classroom applications, including student assignments, companies provide hosting plans for as low as $5 per month language labs, and distance-learning lectures; however, for for 10 GB of space (e.g., http://www.godaddy.com). Using many educators, mobility is essential. For educators inter- commercially available services may be a more economical ested in recording classroom lectures on the go, portable option for the beginning podcaster. podcasting recorders offer flexibility as to where the recordings take place. By using small, solid-state recorders Once the podcasts are posted on a dedicated website, the (e.g., Marantz PMD670), audio can be converted directly to subscription process can be initiated. Establishing student MP3 files and transferred to a computer via a USB port. The subscriptions to the class lectures first requires a Really MP3 files can be used directly or edited with the podcast- Simple Syndication (RSS) feed file to be generated. An RSS ing software. The portable recorders can be coupled with feed is a web publishing format that displays all the neces- hands-free headsets (e.g., Audio Technica PRO8HE) to sary information about the podcast, such as the title, file make it easy to record classroom lectures as they occur. size, a brief description, and the author. The RSS feed file doesn’t modify the podcast audio file; it is merely a text file The costs of these portable recording devices can range that provides information for the podcast hosting site and, from $100 to $1000. Although expensive, a portable ultimately, the end user. To generate the RSS feed files, one podcasting system can be taken to different classrooms, can use the free program Feedburner (http://feedburner. field trips, professional meetings, guest lectures, or google.com) with any operating system. This program will

2 Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. create a URL that is then submitted to a directory portal learning needs. Students can access the material whenever such as iTunes where anyone can search for and subscribe and as often as they would like, thereby reinforcing critical to the podcast. Apple’s iTunes is a free program available concepts or details they may have missed in the original to both Mac and PC users (http://www.apple.com/itunes/ classroom lecture. Third, assignments that require students download/). Once students subscribe to the podcast, new to generate, edit, and publish their own podcasts reinforce podcasts will automatically download and play when the critical communication skills such as writing a script that iTunes podcast window opens. To request that iTunes dis- will be presented online or in a classroom. play the podcasts in the directory, simply click the “Submit a Podcast” icon located in the “Learn More” section of Podcasting in Science Education: A the iTunes Podcast Store. More detailed instructions can be found at http://www.apple.com/itunes/podcasts/specs. Working Example at the University html. In addition to iTunes, other directories are available of Florida to serve as repositories for educational podcasts including Podcasting was first introduced to the Department of Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Microbiology and Cell Science undergraduate Astrobiology Teaching (MERLOT) (http://www.merlot.org); Podcast course in the spring semester of 2008. Astrobiology is a Alley (http://www.podcastalley.com/); and Podcast Pickle multidisciplinary course that covers various aspects of (http://www.podcastpickle.com/). microbiology, molecular biology, biochemistry, human physiology, geology, and physics in the space environment. The Time Investment of Astrobiology is taught as a hybrid course, combining both Podcasting traditional in-person lectures and an online distance- learning component. As with any new technology, an educator must be mindful of the time and efforts he or she puts into its integration into the classroom. For podcasting, the time investment can Podcasting in Astrobiology be very low or high depending on the educator’s time avail- INSTRUCTOR AND GUEST LECTURES ability and the objective of the podcasts. If the objective is Podcasts were generated for all class lectures whether they to quickly disseminate daily or weekly lectures, a minimal- were in-person or distance-learning lectures. The podcasts ist podcast (i.e., without any visual or sound effects) can be were generated using GarageBand from Apple and included generated in the time it takes to give the lecture and upload an audio lecture with synchronized slides. All podcasts the file to the website. However, if the objective is to create were posted on the University of Florida Sakai online a database of reusable lecture materials, then synchronizing course management system along with an additional PDF the slides with the audio portion of the lecture and adding of the slides from each corresponding lecture. Students special effects (e.g., sound, video) may be required and were responsible for downloading each lecture in order to will likely take at least as long as the lecture itself. The time gauge their interest and use of the podcasts. investment of podcasting depends on the creator and the objective. ASSIGNMENTS In addition to the class lectures, students were required Benefits of Podcasting in the to give a 10-minute oral presentation on an astrobiology topic of their choosing. Students had the option to attend Classroom a one-hour voluntary workshop in which they were given Podcasting gives educators an opportunity to bridge the free access to all the necessary equipment and software. traditional classroom setting with progressive state-of-the- In the workshop, students were taught to record, edit, and art technologies. There are several advantages of bringing produce their own individual podcasts using GarageBand. podcasting into the classroom for lectures and student The finalized student podcasts were then evaluated for qual- assignments. First, podcasting is an exciting and novel ity and scientific content, and the top five were selected for means for students to take a more active role in their own publication on the websitehttp://www.jamiefosterscience. learning experience. As students realize their podcast com/education/astroBioPodcasts.html. An example of a assignments may be published online with hundreds of student project in GarageBand is depicted in Figure 1. potential listeners through free podcast directories, their attention to the quality and detail of their assignments may improve. Second, podcasting is adaptable to the students’

3 Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.

Students’ Previous Experience with Podcasting Prior to the start of the semester, students were given a pre-course survey in which they were asked about their experience levels with podcasting. In 2008, when podcasting was a relatively new educational tool, only 9% of the students (n = 22) had previously used podcasting in a classroom setting. The majority of students (59%) in 2008 had never listened to a podcast before the Astrobiology class, whereas 32% of the students had only used podcasting for recreational purposes (Figure 2). By 2012, however, students’ prior experience with podcasting had shifted. Only 8% of the students (n = 25) had never listened to a podcast, with 64% indicating that they had some experience with podcasting in their classes, whereas 28% had only Figure 1. Screenshot of GarageBand, the podcasting production and listened to podcasts recreationally. These results suggest editing software used to generate the student assignment entitled that podcasting is an emerging educational tool in the “Stardust Mission.” modern classroom and that student perceptions and use of this tool must be monitored.

Students’ Perceptions of Podcasting Before and After Using the Technology Students also completed pre- and post-course surveys containing questions about their expectations of podcasting in the classroom. In the surveys, students were asked about podcasting and were requested to respond using a Likert scale with arbitrary values assigned to each level of agreement (Likert 1932). The Likert scale ranged from strongly agree (5), somewhat agree (4), neither agree nor disagree (3), somewhat disagree (2), to strongly disagree (1). The results of the survey indicated that students have continually (n = 22) expressed positive attitudes about podcasting (Figure 3). Exactly one-half (50%) of students in 2008 agreed or strongly agreed that podcasting would Figure 2. Students’ previous experience levels with podcasting. benefit their learning experience in Astrobiology, whereas In the post-course survey, students were also questioned in 2012 this number rose to 76%. In 2008, when podcasting about 1) how often they used the podcasts from Astrobiol- was new, the other half of the class was either neutral ogy; and 2) whether podcasting should be used in more of about podcasting (36% neither agreed nor disagreed that their classes at the University of Florida (Figure 4). In both podcasting would benefit the course), or they were pes- 2008 and 2012, the vast majority of the students listened to simistic about podcasting (14% either disagreed or strongly at least some of the podcasts (95.2%, 100%; respectively) disagreed that podcasting would benefit the course). By (Figure 4A). Of those students who did listen to the 2012, the students were less ambivalent, with only 16% of podcasts in 2008, 47.6% of students listened to all of the the students neutral on the subject and only 8% (n = 2) available podcasts, 9.5% listened to most of the podcasts, of students indicating that podcasting would not enhance and 38.1% listened to some of the podcasts. By 2012 the their learning experience (Figure 3). These results suggest number of students listening to most or all of the podcasts that students’ perceptions of the value of podcasting in the rose to 92%, indicating students were using this learning classroom dramatically improved between the 2008 and tool at a higher rate than in previous years. 2012 Astrobiology courses. Lastly, students were asked whether they thought podcasting should be used in more classes at the University of

4 Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office.

prefer that podcasting be a supplemental educational tool and not a replacement for in-person lectures. When asked whether they thought podcasting should replace in-person lectures, only 12% (n = 3) students agreed. One-third of the class (36%) thought that podcasting should be used only as a supplemental tool and that the lectures should be given in person (Figure 4B). The majority of students (52%), however, preferred the current hybrid course format, using a mix of in-person and podcasting lectures (Figure 4B). Conclusion The classroom is an evolving environment. Today’s educators must continually adapt to changes in student learning needs and available technology. Although there is no substitute for personal interaction between the student and Figure 3. Students’ perceptions of podcasting and their educational educator, new technological tools can facilitate and enhance learning experience. the learning processes. With over 70 million Americans Florida and whether they thought podcasting should listening to podcasts (Arbitron 2010), podcasting is cur- replace in-person lectures (Figure 4B). In 2008, the rently a popular technology. The low cost, ease of use, and majority of students (80.9%) agreed (23.8%) or strongly effectiveness as a communication tool all validate the use of agreed (57.1%) that podcasting should be used in more podcasting in the classroom. Educators can easily include classes; whereas, two students disagreed (4.8%) or strongly podcasting in their repertoire of teaching tools because it disagreed (4.8%) that podcasting should be expanded to only requires a modest budget, software experimentation, other classes, and two students (9.5%) remained neutral. By and creativity. 2012 these numbers had slightly decreased with only 40% of students agreeing and 8% of students strongly agreeing Podcasting is not completely without potential drawbacks. that podcasting should be used in more UF classes. The Because podcasts have the potential for such rapid and number of neutral students (40%) indicated that although pervasive dissemination, maintaining student privacy may their use of podcasting increased and that podcasting be difficult. Educators and schools will have to modify their helped their learning experience (Figure 4B), the students podcasting strategies to best fit their specific situations. were still unsure whether the technology should be The results of these surveys provide evidence that students expanded to more classes. The students also indicated they actively used this technology to facilitate their learning experience in Astrobiology and, more importantly, that they

Figure 4. Post-survey responses of students’ use patterns and opinions of podcasting. Note that the asterisk indicates that podcasts of in-person lectures were not available to students in 2008, only the distance- learning lectures.

5 Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. perceive podcasting as an enhancement to their classroom References experience. Although podcasting was popular among most Arbitron. 2010. “The Infinite Dial: Digital Platforms and of the students, a few students opposed podcasting in the the Future of Radio, April 8, 2010.” Accessed July 16, 2012. classroom in 2008 and 2012. Additional attention should http://www.edisonresearch.com/home/archives/2010/04/ be given to make sure these students feel comfortable the_infinite_dial_2010_digital_platforms_and_the_fu- accessing and playing the podcasts. As podcasting becomes ture_of_r.php. more familiar to students and educators alike, the use of podcasting is likely to expand throughout the University of Foster, J.S., and J.C. Drew. 2009. “Astrobiology Undergradu- Florida and at other educational institutions throughout the ate Education: Students’ Knowledge and Perceptions of the world. Field.” Astrobiology 9:325-33.

Likert, R. 1932. “A Technique for the Measurement of Attitudes.” Archives of Psychology 140: 1-55.